Jermaine Taylor Has A "Secret"

By Keith Boykin, in pop culture
Monday, May 22 2006, 12:11AM

Meet Jermaine Taylor. He's the handsome star of the new TV show "I've Got A Secret" on the Game Show Network. The show is a contemporary remake of the 1950s classic in which a panel of four stars try to guess a secret about contestants. But the difference between this show and its black-and-white predecessor is not just the color. There's another twist. All four of the panelists are openly gay, and one of them, Jermaine Taylor, is black.

As part of our ongoing web series called "My Favorite Things," I spoke to Jermaine over the weekend about his new show, his new life in Los Angeles, his career as an actor, his love life and five of his favorite things. We spoke twice. The first time was early Saturday while Jermaine was making breakfast in LA. The second time was Sunday night after Jermaine had a chance to participate in the Long Beach Pride celebration. Here now is my interview with Jermaine Taylor.

KEITH BOYKIN INTERVIEWS JERMAINE TAYLOR

Keith Boykin: Good morning. How you doing?

Jermaine Taylor: I'm good. Getting ready to make a bite of breakfast.

BOYKIN: Great. Feel free to eat while we speak. So tell me, how has your life changed since you started doing “I’ve Got A Secret”?

TAYLOR: Oh my goodness. It's a new world. I went from obscurity to doing small parts in New York to being on TV, so everything that is going on now is freaking new. I mean my eyes are just wide open. Sometimes I have to suppress it because I don't want to seem that green....I'm still giddy and very cautious and second guessing my steps.

BOYKIN: Second guessing? How?

TAYLOR: You just want to say the right things and you don't want to mess up and you have a huge platform...and at the same time I just [have to] let go [of the pressure].

BOYKIN: You’re from Texas right?

TAYLOR: I grew up in northeast Texas. Dallas area. Metroplex. I was actually born in a small city called Greenville. But I was reared in different little small communities but I actually graduated from a high school in Sulphur Spring, Texas. I also spent time in Houston so I really can't say what city [I’m from].

BOYKIN: I can relate to that. I grew up in several cities and went to two different high schools in two different states. And I’ve lived all over since.

TAYLOR: Exactly, you don't feel like you’re from one place.

BOYKIN: The good thing about that is that whenever somebody asks you where you’re from, you can usually say you’re from where they’re from.

TAYLOR: Yeah and I do that...I wasn't exactly in one place for a really [long time].

BOYKIN: How do you like LA?

TAYLOR: It's the slowest acclamation I've experienced yet. I came here directly from New York City. I told you my life just changed all the sudden. I miss the energy, the hurried pace [of New York]. I miss everything about New York. You would think it would be easy for me to get used to LA because I'm from Texas. I'm in my early 30s...but at the same time I'm glad to be here...I give myself another 6 months and I'll be in love with this place.

BOYKIN: Really? That soon?

TAYLOR: I knew I would never grow old in New York…

BOYKIN: But LA is so different from New York…

TAYLOR: I'm finding nuances as we speak that are slowly winning me over.

Dating and Relationships

BOYKIN: Are you in a relationship?

TAYLOR: Put this in big bold letters: NO AND CURRENTLY SEEKING. No I'm actually fine. I can't even say I'm dating. I don't know if my life right now would even temper such an endeavor...I'm open to the possibilty..The show did bring about a little bit more pickings.

BOYKIN: Now that are you a TV star are you getting solicited all the time?

TAYLOR: I don't know if the gay audience is really locked in on the show...My gym is predominantly gay [and I see people staring at my from time to time but] you don't know if they’re staring at you because of recognition from the show or they're trying to holler...

BOYKIN: Which would you prefer? Recognition from the show?

TAYLOR: Yes. I can always find love even without a show. I don't want to use this as a platform to find someone....I want this thing to be really successful...but then the second part wouldn't be so bad either...I get lonely too.

TAYLOR: Are you still with Nathan?

BOYKIN: Yes

TAYLOR: How long has it been?

BOYKIN: Almost 4 years.

TAYLOR: It was 3 with my ex and I.

BOYKIN: Are you relationship-oriented or career-oriented or both?

TAYLOR: Right now career oriented. I do want that picket fence and a dog though.

BOYKIN: You didn’t mention the husband.

TAYLOR: He's in there too. But right now I'm trying to put some more money in a 401 K because this whole entertainment thing, it doesn't last forever...Get it while I'm hot and then use it to do something else that I'm passionate about.

BOYKIN: What is that?

TAYLOR: I have a degree in merchandising...I had something else burning inside of me and that's why I moved to New York...I would love to have my own store, invest in real estate...[open a] clothing store or something because I have so many different things I would love to retail....that was the original plan. That's why I went to UT Austin because I wanted to be this big business guy.

BOYKIN: Sounds like you’re pretty open to changes in your life.

TAYLOR: Oh God yes. I get so bored. I think we [gay men] get bored easily so we create freaking drama in our lives just to fill it up.. I think that drives us and defeats us. Change is always welcome. I think I'll probably end up changing the color of these walls [in my house].

The Glamorous Life

BOYKIN: What's your schedule like these days with the show?

TAYLOR: Right now there's just nothing but press and appearances since we're already on [the air]. [I’ve been spending a lot of time] between meetings, appearances, and press junkets.

BOYKIN: So tell me about the shooting schedule for the show.

TAYLOR: Game shows are by nature very cost effective to produce. They can them all in about a month and a half's time...We were shooting them out at about 4 a day...We shot our entire season in a month and a half, and mind you we had breaks in between.

BOYKIN: How many shows are in the season?

TAYLOR: The first season they only ordered 8 weeks of shows, 40 episodes. Our second season, contingent on a pickup, we’ll probably do a lot more than 8 weeks.

BOYKIN: When does the first season end?

TAYLOR: I wanna say the second week in June.

BOYKIN: And when will the next season begin, if it happens?

TAYLOR: That's all up in the air. We're hoping the end of the summer. The wheels of cable are different. They're not like big networks.

BOYKIN: The show is hosted by Bil Dwyer and the panelists are ex-baseball player Billy Bean, Sirius Satellite Radio host Frank DeCaro, Broadway performer Jermaine Taylor, and comedian Suzanne Westenhoefer. So who's your favorite co-host?

TAYLOR: Oh I can't answer that.

BOYKIN: Sure you can. You’re just talking to me.

TAYLOR: (Laughter)

BOYKIN: Okay, who do you hate on the show?

TAYLOR: I don't hate anybody. It is truly an ensemble effort on our part. We love each other. We can't do what we do without each other. I think they all knew each other but I was totally new. No one knew who I was. And I just jumped right in as if we had been friends.. I love them all. I'm not just saying that.

BOYKIN: What have you learned or observed from doing the show?

TAYLOR: Frank’s quick wit. Suzanne’s bite. Billy, he’s a lot more serious and intense and focused. Those are great guys. It's a great panel. Now the press...

BOYKIN: Who are you compared to?

TAYLOR: Nipsey Russell. I often get compared to him and I don't mind because I love Nipsey Russell...and he was doing a lot [before he started doing game shows] because I read his autobiography...but people don’t remember.

BOYKIN: You seem to have these two sides of you. On the one hand you have this kind of hard-sounding very stereotypically black male masculine voice and on the other hand, you have this TV side which is, what shall I say, a little more flamboyant.

TAYLOR: You're right, totally right. I have so many different sides to me...I've always been this extremist as far as different personalities....On the show I'm a lot more flamboyant and I'm happy and cheesy and smiley...but in real life I can't walk around like that all the time. I hope it doesn't bite me in the ass.

BOYKIN: What do you mean?

TAYLOR: They talk about this stereotype thing in Hollywood...When my producers first got to know me they would call me and they would say it doesn't sound like you [based on what they thought I sounded like]...It wasn't the big flowery flamboyant Jermaine that they saw on the tape, and I never would say anything because I didn't think it needed to be dignified.

BOYKIN: Anything else?

TAYLOR: During the season we were shooting and I'd [come into set and] have my hat real low and some of the P.A.’s [production assistants] didn't recognize me and they’d say damn that boy is hot.

BOYKIN: [Laughter] Are you trying to say you’re hot, Jermaine?

TAYLOR: Yeah I'm hot.

BOYKIN: Should I ask you what kind of men you like?

TAYLOR: I don't discriminate. Short, tall, robust, not too robust.

BOYKIN: How do you like the way you look on tv?

TAYLOR: I love it. I really do. I was home all last week and I made sure the show was on every TV in my house.

BOYKIN: What do you hope to get out of the experience?

TAYLOR: I want it to be a strong way to establish my presence on TV….I just want people to see a full package so I can spring from this project to something else….I don't necessarily want to be a game show guy or a host of this show or that show. I want to do what's been feeding me all this time, my acting….

BOYKIN: So you just got a good job and you're already looking for another job?

TAYLOR: Of course. I can do this and something else concurrently. [Crunching noises in the background.]

BOYKIN: What are you eating?

TAYLOR: I just made some breakfast….I go over to Trader Joe’s and get some turkey bacon and some egg whites and [come back and] make breakfast.

BOYKIN:Last but not least, tell me five of your favorite things.

TAYLOR: My favorite candy is hot tamale candies. My favorite author is Toni Morrison. My most favorite food is Mexican. My most favorite way to spend a Saturday afternoon is watching Lifetime TV. And my favorite vacation spot would be Paradise Island in Nassau, the Bahamas.

Sunday follow up

BOYKIN: Anything exciting happen since yesterday?

TAYLOR: I made an appearance today in Long Beach at their Pride celebration and the outpouring of love from the fans of the show was so overwhelming. I got chills at one point during the parade because they knew my name. Wow!! I told you this was new to me. Many of "us" just smiled and I saw the depth behind the smile. They saw a reflection of themselves and it made them proud. That is what I experienced upon watching you for the first time.

BOYKIN: Wow. Thanks. Your experience in Long Beach sounds great. Congratulations.

TAYLOR: Thanks.

BOYKIN: Anything else I should say?

TAYLOR: I have a website. It’s taylormadeworld.com

BOYKIN: Thanks Jermaine. I’ll check it out.

TAYLOR: Thank you.

Comments (4) reveal